Mediaweek editor Dan Barrett (pictured) has been sacked after just five months into the role as the publishing company seeks to rein in costs across its mastheads and reach financial targets. Barnett told Influencing last night that the reasons given by owners Vinyl Group were “pretty weak” and  “didn’t pass the sniff test” but it was within his probation period so there wasn’t much he could do about it.  Barnett is a seasoned journalist and had previously worked at the masthead. When he rejoined five months ago he said the perceived wisdom in the job market is you shouldn’t go back to a previous job but he’d decided to give it a go because he could see a future for the masthead.   It is understood there is no immediate proposal to fill the role. Barnett’s predecessor, editor-in-chief Emma Shepherd, suffered a similar fate, departing before she had completed six months in the job, as we reported at the time. The move leaves Mediaweek’s full-time e

CEAT Limited has announced the appointment of Apurva Chandra, former Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, as an Additional Director in the capacity of Non-Executive, Independent Director for a term of five consecutive years. According to BestMediaInfo, Paras K. Chowdhary has also been appointed as an Additional Director in the capacity of Non-Executive, Non-Independent Director. Chandra, a senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from the 1988 Maharashtra cadre, brings over 36 years of experience in public administration, policy formulation, and industrial development.

The Hindu has announced the launch of its new YouTube channel, The Hindu Originals.   The channel will feature videos about politics, governance, culture and world affairs.   Pradeep Gairola, VP and business head of digital at The Hindu Group wrote on LinkedIn: “Here, our seasoned journalists go beyond headlines to unpack politics, governance, culture, and world affairs, bringing you stories that define today’s India - with depth, balance, and context.”  The first video has been posted on the channel, featuring Carnatic musician Amrita Murali in conversation with Meera Srinivasan.   Subscribe using the link given here to watch contents from the YouTube channel.

 As most newspaper outlets remain closed due to Diwali/Lakshmi Puja, we will not be presenting our TODAY'S TEN newsletter for the day.  We, at Influencing India, also take this opportunity to wish all our subscribers a Happy Diwali/Lakshmi Puja and will return with our daily news analysis of the leading newspapers from tomorrow. 

Gaming journalist and communications professional Dr Ben Schuster has joined video game developer Gameloft as Community Manager in its Brisbane studio, and says his appointment is surreal.  “I've admired this studio for years,” Schuster told Influencing after one week in the role.   “Gameloft has been one of the staple game developers here in Brisbane and is packed full of incredible talent. I've had the pleasure of knowing many people who work at Gameloft and it's surreal to be part of it.” A part of the marketing team, Schuster said his role as Community Manager is to assist in fostering the studio’s video games’ online community.  “A community manager fosters the online community of a game developer. I’ll have a lot of involvement with the player base, either through social media, reviews, player support or in-person events, ensuring players are a part of the community and feel heard.  “I’m also a conduit between the player and the development team. S

After nearly two decades of chasing headlines, Hitarth Pandya traded deadlines for classrooms — and found a new story in sustainability. The former journalist, now an environmental educator, founded Kids for Environmental Development Initiative (KEDI), a hands-on learning model that brings sustainability education into schools. Pandya’s journey began in Gujarat, where he grew up in the lush green colony of the Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Limited. “Growing up surrounded by trees, frogs, snakes, and chameleons, I saw nature up close. My father’s love for gardening also deepened my connection with the environment,” he recalls. Though his academic path was modest — a Gujarati-medium education followed by a master’s degree in sociology — his professional life was anything but ordinary. His first job was in marketing, selling Citibank credit cards in the early 1990s. But a small newspaper advertisement changed everything. “I joined a door-to-door survey campaign b

Lauren Deighton, ripe’s editor-in-chief. Lauren Deighton has spent much of her career helping others tell their stories, and now she’s launching one of her own. The founder of marketing agency Brandscend is preparing to unveil ripe, a new digital publication celebrating the best of regional Australia through food, travel and local discovery. “Ripe is set to become the go-to guide for discovering the best places to dine, sip, stay and explore across regional Australia,” editor-in-chief and founder Deighton says. “We want to inspire Australians to explore their own backyard, support local businesses, and celebrate the towns and communities that make this country so special.” The platform will showcase regional hospitality venues, accommodation, tours and experiences, alongside curated itineraries designed for every type of traveller, from road-trippers and foodies to luxury-seekers and retirees. “We understand that baby boomers may seek different experiences than mill